Asia/Pacific News
Singapore Decarbonisation Chief Calls for Global Bunker Carbon Taxes
The head of Singapore's new government-sponsored marine decarbonisation centre has called for global carbon taxes for the shipping industry.
Lynn Loo, who was announced as CEO of the new Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation in July, called for the policy at an industry event on Tuesday.
The pricing of carbon emissions will be needed 'for incumbent solutions to have a chance', Loo said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.
"As a global industry, shipping has the unique opportunity to pass a global carbon policy to accelerate our glide path to net zero," she said.
"IMO needs to lead efforts so individual nations or companies are not left behind.
"But we need to act now.
"Regional regulations can result in unleveling of playing fields, which can ultimately undermine the industry's decarbonisation efforts."
The European Union announced its own set of decarbonisation measures for shipping over the summer, including bringing the industry into its emissions trading system. IMO officials have tended to criticise regional measures along these lines as complicating moves towards global consensus at the IMO.
Multiple proposals have been made at the IMO for global carbon taxes, but little progress is expected at the next meeting of the UN body's Marine Environment Protection Committee in November.
